3/4oz Tonic Syrup. I’ve been on a tonic syrup quest lately… Since finishing up my Small Hand Foods tonic syrup, I’ve tried a couple more and have been quite delighted by the variation in this category! From my experience thus far, it’s surprisingly been a completely new-to-me world of flavors!

Tonic syrup is basically a concentrated form of tonic water, which is a beverage defined by its inclusion of quinine, a compound extracted from the bark of the South American cinchona tree. Quinine was originally used for malaria treatment, and the origin of the classic gin&tonic cocktail was actually a happy accident from seeking ways to make the bitter quinine health tonic more palatable when used for medicinal treatments. Read more about tonic syrup here.

The Small Hand Foods tonic syrup is extremely INTENSE and bitter/earthy with minimal acidity and sweetness. For me, it was a fantastic introduction to tonic that really helped me understand what quinine truly tasted like. Contrastingly, &Tonic‘s tonic syrup is tart, fruity, and refreshing – perfect to pair with berries and citrus. Though equally delicious with its unique flavor profile, it is worlds apart from the Small Hand Foods version.

Now, this one from 3/4oz. Tonic falls nicely in between those on the bitterness and tartness scale, and I have been thoroughly enjoying this. It’s able to maintain an earthy darkness to it but still has a fantastic tart flavor that makes the addition of lime (or other citrus) in your drink optional. I am super impressed by the flavor profile of this one, and will certainly be reaching for it often.